Empire of Passion

The Empire of Passion

Film poster
Directed by Nagisa Oshima
Written by Nagisa Oshima
Itoko Nakamura
Starring Kazuko Yoshiyuki
Tatsuya Fuji
Takahiro Tamura
Takuzo Kawatani
Akiko Koyama
Music by Toru Takemitsu
Cinematography Yoshio Miyajima
Edited by Keiichi Uraoka
Production
company
Oshima Nagisa Production
Distributed by Toho Towa
Release dates
  • October 6, 1978 (Japan)
Running time
 104 minutes
Country France
Japan
Language Japanese

Empire of Passion (愛の亡霊 Ai no Bōrei) is a 1978 French-Japanese film directed by Nagisa Ōshima.[1]

Plot

The plot revolves around a young man who has an affair with an older woman. He is very jealous of her husband and decides that they should kill him. One night, after the husband had plenty of shouchu to drink and was in bed, they strangle him and dump his body down a well. To avert any suspicions, she pretends her husband has gone off to Tokyo to work. For three years the wife and her lover secretly see each other. Finally, suspicions become very strong and people begin to gossip. To make matters worse, her husband's ghost begins to haunt her and the law arrives to investigate her husband's disappearance.

Cast

Release

The film was Japan's submission to the 51st Academy Awards for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not accepted as a nominee.[2] The film was entered into the 1978 Cannes Film Festival, where Oshima won the award for Best Director.[3]

See also

References

  1. ↑ "L' Empire de la passion". BFI Film & Television Database. London: British Film Institute. Retrieved June 27, 2013.
  2. ↑ "List of Japanese films nominated for Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film" (in Japanese). Motion Picture Producers Association of Japan. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  3. ↑ "Festival de Cannes: Empire of Passion". festival-cannes.com. Retrieved 2009-05-10.

External links